Destiny
by Cole224
Summary: Someone pulls Xena down from the cross before she dies.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so this is my first ever Xena fic. They are replaying the entire show on Oxygen in the morning and I've been wanting to write my own story for it. So, this is very AU starting from the end of season four when Caesar crucifies Xena and Gabrielle. I don't know if this has been done before, but I just had the thought of redoing the fifth season. I actually didn't like it as much as the first four. I know this is short, but it's just a prologue basically. I update my stories pretty fast, so I should have the next one out soon. 

Don't own anything.

* * *

She expected to die. She had known what would happen, had accepted while still in that cell with Gabrielle. She wasn't sure how long she had been up there, but she found herself wishing for the end.

Her eyes closed, head bowed. The next sensation she felt, though, was an unexpected one. Her arms were released and they fell limply to her side. She didn't have the energy to lift her head as she sagged forward and was caught in an embrace. If she had been more aware, she would have wondered why it hadn't hurt to be released like that. Maybe she was dead, though.

"Don't worry." She vaguely heard someone whisper in her ear. "I'm going to take care of you." Most of the pain from before was gone now. She mostly felt numb and she thought that if she wasn't dead then she was close to it.

She felt herself being lifted up in strong arms and she managed to open her eyes halfway to glimpse dark ones staring down at her before hers closed and darkness overtook her.

* * *

Xena's eyes snapped open and she sat up. She frowned, trying to remember what had happened. When memories slammed back into place, she jumped from the bed she had been lying on.

Looking down, she took herself in. The wounds on her hands and feet where gone and she was standing up, so obviously her back was healed. She was wearing a white gown.

She looked around the room. It was decorated in pink and white and the bed she had been sleeping in was large and admittedly comfortable.

So, she was dead? It was the only explanation. She didn't feel any different, though. Of course, she had never died before. How could she know what if felt like? She walked around the room slowly and stopped short when she caught sight of something on the table beside the bed.

Reaching out, she ran a hand across her breastplate sitting atop her clothes. Her chakram sat on top as well, whole now. She traced her fingers on it, remembering what had happened.

Her hand snapped away when a new thought hit her. Where was Gabrielle? If she was dead, and she wasn't so sure on that one now, where was she? And if she wasn't, how had she gotten here and healed?

"Your not dead." A deep and familiar voice said from the doorway. Xena snapped her head up and her eyes widened only slightly.

"Ares."


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, so this is a bit longer.

* * *

"Ares." Xena stood still, staring at him.

"Hey, Xena." He said, stepping into the room.

"You-" She cut off, still a little in shock. He walked closer to her.

"You didn't actually think I would let you die, did you?" He asked, a small smile forming on his lips.

"How did you...?" He shrugged.

"Athena healed you."

"You convinced Athena to heal me?" She repeated. He nodded, stepping up closer. She opened her mouth to ask another question but he cut her off.

"Gabrielle's fine." He said. "She's sleeping in another room." Xena nodded. She was relieved, but she was still a little bit in shock. She guessed that after how long she had known Ares that she shouldn't be shocked by anything he did, but she still wasn't expecting something like this.

"Why?" Ares rolled his eyes, smile still on his face as he stepped right up to her.

"Do I really need to answer that?" He asked.

"I mean, what do you want for this?" She asked. He gave a sigh and reached up, touching a hand on her cheek.

"I told you, Xena. I couldn't let you die." He stepped back. "Gabrielle is in the next room down. Think about it, Xena." He said before disappearing.

Instead of going to Gabrielle right away, Xena sat on the bed and let out her own sigh. Confusion was replacing shock. She couldn't believe that Ares had done this. She kept wondering where the catch was. Ares never did something for someone without wanting something in return.

She shifted on the bed. Getting up, she got her own clothes and shrugged out of the gown. One thing was sure, she was going to feel a lot more comfortable in her own clothes.

As she dressed, she wondered what exactly Ares would want for this. She just couldn't make herself believe that he would do something like this for nothing in return. Then again, she had been dying.

But what if he had? What if he had simply saved her? He had saved Gabrielle as well. She shook her head. No way. He knew that she would never give over to him if he let Gabrielle die. That had to be the reason.

She walked slowly out of the room and looked around. She recognized this place now. She was in one of Aphrodite's temples. Of course, Ares wasn't really into the whole white and pink lace thing.

She wondered down the hall to the room that Ares had said that Gabrielle was in. Pushing the door open, she walked in quietly. Gabrielle was still asleep on the bed. She sat on the side, watching her friend.

It was a shock, being here, alive and watching Gabrielle sleep. She had fully expected to die there and she had accepted it. She really hadn't had much of a choice. But she was alive now, alive because of Ares.

Her eyes snapped up when she felt his presence before he appeared next to the bed. She gestured to Gabrielle, who had not stirred during any of this.

"You put her to sleep?"

"I needed to talk to you." He said. She saw something in his dark eyes then. A moment of confusion and doubt that she had never seen in gaze. A flicker of doubt came to her.

"I wanted you to know that I didn't get you down to get something for you." He said. She watched him, silent. "I know this isn't my usual style, but..." He trailed off, and there was another sight that was odd. Ares, at a loss for words. That flicker of doubt grew in her mind.

"I felt you dying." He said finally. "And I couldn't let it happen." She stood up, walking closer to him, searching his eyes.

"After everything that's happened, how do you expect me to believe you?" She asked, quietly. She couldn't force any bite into the question, though. There was just more confusion.

"How about I prove it to you." He said.

"How are you going to do that?" He stepped back from her.

"By not asking." He spread his arms a little. For an instant, his eyes were ungaurded again, and she saw a storm of emotions pass over them.

"I love you, Xena." He said, disappearing again and shoking her again for the second time in one day.

"Xena?" Gabrielle's voice startled her out of her daze.

* * *

Ares landed in one of his own temples and sat down heavily. He did not feel like going up to Olympus and see Aphrodite's smug expression or answer Athena's questions.

He wasn't one for epiphany's but he had a blinding one when he had felt Xena dying. When he had pulled her down. When he had gotten to her, she was nearly dead. That had led to a desperation and fear that had startled even him.

He had had the prescience to grab Gabrielle as well. Aphrodite, of course had pounced on that as soon as he had convinced Athena to heal them.

_"You saved them?" Aphrodite said. He had needed a place to let them rest, and his own places weren't exactly the best. He had brought them to one of her temples to rest._

_He simply nodded at her question. That feeling of panic that he had had before still hadn't faded completely. After placing Gabrielle in one of the rooms, he laid Xena down in another, and watched her sleep for a moment._

_"You saved both of them?" Aphrodite repeated. She didn't sound as surprised as she probably should have. She tilted her head to the side, watching her brother. She had seen the change in him the instant he had walked through the door. To be honest, she figured that it was there before, but that it was just never realized._

_"You love her." She said, a smile appearing on her face. She jumped up and down and threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. "This is unbelievable." She pulled back. "Well, maybe not so much after thinking about it. I mean, you have been, like, obsessed with her forever."_

_"Aphrodite." He pushed her back slightly by the shoulders and she looked up into his eyes._

_"Oh." She said. "Your freaking out, aren't you?"_

_"I'm not freaking out." He said, his eyes narrowing. "And I am not in love." She rolled her eyes. She probably knew Ares better than anyone alive. She knew when he was lying, even when he was lying to himself._

_"Really? Then why did you save them." She held up a hand when he opened his mouth. "Oh, you can lie to yourself about the reasons for rescuing Xena, but what about Gabrielle?."_

_"Xena, she's-" "Gabrielle's best friend?" Aphrodite interrupted. "She'd be heartbroken if something happened to her. That's why you did it." Ares shook his head and stepped back from her._

_"You got it wrong." He said, preparing to leave._

_"Ares, wait." She said. He paused, meeting her eyes. "Look, don't lie to yourself on this one, or her. And don't do what you usually do. You know, screwing it up by doing something stupid. You know she'll never forgive you if that happens again."_

Ares sighed and leaned further back into his seat. He really hated it when Aphrodite was right. The lying part was easy for him. It had been a lot easier to tell Xena than he thought it would have been. He was not a coward, after all. No matter what anyone thought.

He just didn't know how much good it did him. Along with the realization that he was in love with Xena, another realization that she might really never forgive him for all the things he had done to her in the past. Why should she?

* * *

"Ares saved us?" Gabrielle repeated in disbelief.

"Yes." Xena said, getting up from the bed and pacing the room. Gabrielle sat up in the bed and watched her friend.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine." She said tightly. When Gabrielle met her gaze briefly, though, she saw the confusion there.

"Xena-"

"Can we just, not talk about this right now?" Xena asked finally. Gabrielle sighed and nodded, still watching her worriedly.

* * *

Xena didn't know what to think. Ares had not come back after disappearing that last time. Now, she couldn't help but to wonder if he was telling the truth, and what that meant. She felt a warmth spread at the simple thought, and pushed the feeling down forcefully.

She could not go down that road. It was out of the question. She couldn't think of Ares like that. He was not one of the good guys, he'd only end up betraying her like always.

Then again, what if he was telling the truth? She had never let herself actually feel for Ares. She had had to always be on guard around him. But she had thought once that she could have loved him. She shook her head, looking over at Gabrielle.

"Let's go."

* * *

Athena never fought Xena until after she found out about Eve, so I went with that. That she would heal someone if Ares convinced her to.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this took so long. I had planned on updating a lot faster but writers block put a stop to that. Xena/Ares is so hard to write and still keep them both in character. I know this chapter is kind of short, but I figured it was better than nothing. I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can.

* * *

Xena spent the next day thinking about it. Once again, Ares was taking up most of her thoughts, but it was for a different reason this time. She couldn't believe that she was actually starting to think of Ares in this way. That she was actually considering the fact that Ares was telling her the truth for once.

She found she couldn't help it, though. Ares was different, and not just because he was a god. He got to her in a way that no other man ever had, not even Hercules. It was admittedly frustrating, too. Mostly because he was always trying to trick her or mess with her head.

Problem was, this time, she was actually starting to believe him. She knew him pretty well and she could read people pretty well, figure out if they were lying or not. And all of her was screaming that he wasn't lying this time.

Now, all she had to do was figure out what exactly she felt for him. Did she love him? She wasn't sure of her feelings for Ares. She never had been.

She knew that Gabrielle was worried about her. She'd been distracted all day, but she had put a delay on any talks about how she was feeling. She had told Gabrielle she would tell her everything once she figured it all out.

She didn't really sleep much that night, instead sitting and watching Gabrielle sleep while at the same time not really seeing her. It was around two hours before dawn that she heard someone in the bushes not far away. She raised up and pulled her sword out quietly. When the person stepped out into the open, she sighed and lowered her sword.

"Aphrodite, what are you doing here?" She whispered warily before sheathing her sword again.

"I need to talk to you." Aphrodite whispered, motioning her away. Xena sighed again and followed her away from camp and earshot of Gabrielle.

"I suppose this is about Ares." Xena said when they got far enough away.

"Yeah." Aphrodite said. "Look, Ares is going to kill me for getting involved in his personal life like this, but I had to talk to you."

"About what?" Xena asked now, pretty sure she already knew the answer.

"About the fact that he loves you." Xena rubbed a hand on her temple.

"He told you that?" Aphrodite nodded.

"But that's not the only point. Xena, he's telling the truth."

"Right." Xena said. Aphrodite stepped closer to her.

"Look, I know you have no reason to trust him and I know he's done some pretty bad things over the years. But, Xena, I am the Goddess of Love for a reason. He loves you." She met Xena's eyes apprehensively. "And you love him, too."

"I do not-" She cut off, glaring at Aphrodite. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you deserve to be happy, and so does he. And I figured it would be easier to decide if you knew he wasn't lying this time. He's not." Aphrodite disappeared and Xena sighed, sitting on the rock nearby.

Why did this have to happen? She was perfectly happy thinking that Ares was an evil son of a bitch and traveling with Gabrielle.

What Aphrodite had said didn't really ease her mind, it only made all this harder. It was easier to think that Ares was lying that he was the same man who had tricked and betrayed her so many times in the past.

How could she risk her heart on that? Maybe he was telling the truth now, but what about later? What would happen when that fear from thinking that she was going to die wore off?

* * *

"Xena, you've been off since we woke up, distracted. I know it's odd that Ares saved us, but there's something more. What's going on?" Gabrielle pressed the next day over breakfast.

She was worried about Xena. She could tell she hadn't gotten any sleep the night before and she had been distracted and deep in thought the entire day.

"Gabrielle..." Xena hesitated for a moment before looking up and meeting her eyes. "You would risk everything for love. I know you, hell, you've risked your life countless times for me."

"And you for me." Gabrielle said, smiling. "It's not really a risk if you think of the consequences of not risking it." She sighed and tilted her head a little.

"Yes, but what if your not sure you can trust the person your talking about?"

"I suppose you would have to decide if it's worth it or not. Maybe if you do, you'll get hurt, but maybe if you don't you'll regret it forever." She paused, frowning at Xena.

"Xena, what are we talking about?" Xena didn't answer, but Gabrielle wasn't stupid.

"This is about Ares." She said, letting out a disbelieving breath. "Your letting him get to you again."

"I'm not-" Xena shook her head. "Look, he didn't do anything to me besides save my life..." Xena hesitated again. "And tell me he loves me." Gabrielle's eyes widened at that.

"He told you he loves you." She said. Xena nodded and stood up.

"He told me he loves me and then he left. He's actually letting me decide for once. He says he doesn't want to hurt me. Then Aphrodite shows up, backing him." She turned back to Gabrielle. "Thing is, I think I believe him this time." Gabrielle was still, staring at her with wide eyes.

"And what do you feel for him?" She asked after a minute.

"I don't know." Xena sighed. Gabrielle hesitated.

"Xena, this is Ares. He's not exactly known for his honesty and good intentions." She sighed again and met Xena's eyes. "You do love him, don't you?" She asked. She knew Xena, probably better than anyone. She knew that look in her eyes.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Xena growled, pacing.

"Maybe because it's true." Gabrielle said with a snort. "Look." Gabrielle held up her hands when Xena turned a glare on her. "If you do love him, and you think he's telling the truth," she closed her eyes with a pained expression, "maybe you owe it to yourself to find out for sure." Xena's eyes snapped to hers.

"What?" She hadn't been expecting that.

"I can't say that I'm not worried about all of this. I mean, it is Ares. But you deserve to be happy. And if you think that that is with Ares, I'll support that. Your my best friend, Xena. I'd stand by you through anything."

"Thank you." Xena said, smiling with a hint of tears in her eyes at the words.

* * *

"Ares!" Xena looked around the small clearing, waiting. She had decided to take Gabrielle up on her advise after all. First thing first though. She had to find out what she felt for Ares.

"Xena." Xena turned to meet his dark eyes and she hesitated. There was only one way to know for sure, though.

She only hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and bringing her hands up to his head. She pulled him down to meet her lips in a kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

I really hope this is okay. This story is kind of hard to write and I've had a little writers block for it. I hope I did Xena and Ares interaction alright. Sorry I didn't reply to all the reviews I got last time. I got them kind of late. So, thanks to everyone who did review. I appreciate it and I'm glad you like it. 

When Xena finally pulled back, Ares was staring at her in surprise, his mouth still slightly open and his eyes wide. After a moment, he snapped his mouth closed and cleared his throat.

"Well, didn't expect that." He said, a small smile coming to his face. Xena matched it.

"I figured I'd try it." She shrugged.

"And?" He raised an eyebrow.

"It wasn't to bad." She said, her smile growing slightly into a teasing one.

"Wasn't to bad?" Ares said, stepping up to her again. "Maybe we should try it again?" He suggested and Xena could hear the underlying tension in the question. Her smile softened for a moment.

"Maybe we should." A flash of relief passed over his eyes before he stepped the rest of the way up and swept her up in his arms. Xena gave a surprised grunt and then scowled up at him.

"I don't know what your expecting, but I'm no damsel." She said. Ares snorted, but didn't let her down. Despite her words, Xena wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Xena, I've known you for years. What makes you think I would ever think of you like that?"

"Good. Then put me down." Still, she made no move to get herself out of his arms.

"So, what? Your wanting to be the man now?" Xena fluttered her eyelashes and grinned.

"Why? Are you going to be the woman?"

"So, what will Blondie think of all this?" Ares asked suddenly. His tone was still light, but Xena could practically read what he was thinking.

"She already knows." Xena simply shrugged. Ares gave a start of surprise.

"I think we should take this somewhere more private." He said, the light in his eyes turning from teasing to something else. Xena's grip around his neck tightened and she nodded.

"Maybe we should." She said, leaning up to kiss him again.

"I love you." He whispered when she pulled back. She kissed him again, not answering with words. She wasn't ready to say it yet. Wasn't ready to give herself over completely to him.

* * *

Gabrielle wasn't sure what she had been expecting of Xena and Ares relationship but she wasn't sure if this was it. Then again, it was Xena and Ares.

They acted pretty much the same around each other, except with much less violence. The verbal sparring that she had become accustomed to with the two of them was still there only the bite and anger from before was replaced by teasing tones. Ares was even trying to be polite around her to a certain extent at least.

Xena was actually happy. Well, it wasn't like she wasn't happy before but this was different. Comments that would have gotten Ares a punch before actually got a laugh out of her on occasion. Not a chuckle, a laugh. An actual full body laugh that, even with all her years traveling with Xena, she had rarely heard.

They were actually doing pretty good. Gabrielle had been a little apprehensive at first that Ares would revert back to his old ways after a little bit, but some time passed with them still happy and her nervousness began to ease over the situation.

* * *

Xena knew that she loved him. She realized it that night after that first kiss when he had whisked her away. She just couldn't seem to say it out loud yet. She couldn't help it.

She was actually beginning to trust him again. Things were going good. Even Gabrielle had accepted it. They still traveled, still helped people, but now they had the god of war on their side.

It was odd in a way, but she was happy. She realized that too. She was content in a way that she didn't think she ever had been before. It was odd and a little frightening at times that it was because of Ares.

"Xena!" Xena's head snapped up at the sight of Joxer and Amarice. They had sent word to them that they were okay and decided to meet up. They had been waiting for their friends to get there in a small town.

Both Amarice and Joxer jogged over and hugged first her and then Gabrielle fiercely.

"How did this happen?" Amarice asked, looking them both over. "Not that I'm not happy you guys are okay, but the last time we saw you..."

"You know what? Why don't we go get a drink and we'll tell you everything." Gabrielle suggested, looking slightly nervous. She wasn't sure how they were going to take this considering all the stories that they had told Amarice about Ares and then there was the fact that Joxer had been there for most of them.

* * *

"Ares saved you." Amarice repeated, sounding a little dumbfounded.

"Yes." Xena said.

"Well, why do you think he did it?" Amarice asked. Xena hesitated.

"Couldn't let the woman I love die, now could I?" Joxer and Amarice both jumped from their seats at the sound of Ares voice. Ares simply raised one eyebrow at them and sat down next to Xena, who turned a scowl on him.

"Ares, I told you I could handle this." She said. Ares shrugged.

"Yeah, I know. But I figured if someone's going to be bad mouthing me, I should at least be here." Xena's mouth quirked.

"Well, I'm sure it's impossible to be all the places where people have bad mouthed you."

"Please, despite what you might think, Xena, I am a highly respected god." He said, lifting his head a little pompously and causing Xena to swat the back of it.

"And I'm sure if you tell yourself that enough times you'll actually believe it."

"Are you guys actually flirting?" Amarice interrupted them, looking a little shocked.

"What are you talking about?" Joxer asked. "They are always like this." Amarice rolled her eyes briefly at that.

"You guys are together." She said, not replying to Joxer's statement, because really...could he be anymore blind?

"What?" Joxer actually laughed at that. "There is no way that Xena would be that stupid. Falling for Ares of all people. I mean, after everything he's done, she'd have to be a complete idiot..." Joxer trailed off at the glare that both Xena and Ares were sending him.

"This is..." Amarice sat down heavily in the chair across from Xena. "Wow."

"Look, I know it's crazy." Xena started and then held up a hand when Ares opened his mouth. "But I think he really has changed. And I'm happy."

"I can attest to that." Gabrielle spoke up. Amarice looked over at Ares and noticed the way his eyes had softened slightly at Xena's words.

"Well, if your happy..." Amarice said reluctantly.

"Of course we're happy for you." Joxer said, completely turning his view around. But Xena was a grown woman who could make her own decisions and he really wasn't interested in having both her and the god of war angry with him.

"Good." Xena said.

* * *

The time sort of actually flew by after that. Amarice and Joxer seemed to actually accept her being with Ares, and she was grateful for that.

It was some time after she and Ares had started this together that she started feeling a little bit sick. That Gabrielle and Amarice started to refuse to eat with her.

She remembered these types of feelings from before. Remembered what it was like from years ago. It took her a while to get up the courage to go see a healer to confirm it, though. When the healer looked at her after the exam and gave his diagnosis, she wasn't greatly surprised.

"Congratulations. Your pregnant." And a whole new worry settled in her gut. How would Ares react? She couldn't even bring herself to tell him she loved him yet.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, so this is my last chapter. I figure everyone has done the whole Xena and Ares baby brings on the twilight story line, and this kind of just turned into a short romance. This is short and I hope it's good. I might write more on this, maybe a sequel sometime with them.

* * *

Xena was nervous. She had been putting off telling Ares about the baby for to long now, but she couldn't help it. She wasn't sure how he would react to this one.

"Xena, what's wrong?" Gabrielle asked, frustrated. "You haven't been this distracted since Ares first told you he loved you."

"I'm alright." Xena said. She wanted to tell Gabrielle, but she felt sort of like that might be a betrayal. She had to tell Ares first. It was only right.

"Xena-"

"I promise I'll be okay, Gabrielle. There's some stuff I've got to work out, but once I do, I promise I'll tell you everything." Gabrielle sighed and nodded, and Xena let out a relieved breath.

She decided to tell Ares soon. It was the best option. She couldn't hold this off forever.

* * *

"Ares!" She called, walking into one of his temples. She didn't want to tell him out in the woods. She needed a private place.

"Hey, Xena." Ares said, appearing in front of her and walking over. When he reached out for her, she stepped back out of his touch and met his eyes.

"There's something we need to talk about." She said. She saw a flash of worry pass over his eyes before they became guarded.

"What is that?" He asked. She could practically hear what he was thinking.

"It's not what your thinking." She said, deciding to ease his mind first.

"You know what I'm thinking?" He asked. She let out a weak smile.

"I really need you to be serous here, Ares." She said, pacing a little nervously.

"What's wrong?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her pacing. She met his eyes and smiled slightly at the concern shining in them.

"I'm pregnant." She blurted out, and then winced. She had never really been good at that whole tact thing. Ares stood dumbfounded for a moment.

"Your pregnant." He repeated, shock in his eyes. She nodded, even more nervous now.

"Yes. Look, I know it's not what we planned or anything..." She trailed off when he stepped closer to her and tilted her head up, bringing her into a fierce kiss. To her surprise he lifted her in his arms and actually spun her around a little, letting out a deep laugh. When he finally set her down again, she felt a little dizzy. Not from the spinning, but from his reaction.

"So, your okay with this?" She asked, not stepping out of his arms.

"Are you kidding?" The grin was still in place. "Of cource I'm okay with this. I'm better than okay with this. We're going to be parents. You know that we have to get married now." He said. Xena couldn't help the wide smile that formed on her face. She kissed him and then pulled back, looking in his eyes again.

"I love you." She said quietly. His grin only widened.

"I know." He said, kissing her back. "I love you too." He said when he pulled back. Then he swept her up into his arms again. This time, she didn't complain.

"I think we should celebrate." He said. She grinned and wrapped her arms around him as they both disappeared.


End file.
